The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-06-10
The Man and Brother.

. A. the recsu. Public Health Confer
euc- iu L4usTi,ie. Ky, BIshop I. G.
P-uick read = paper on The CoiOTed
! Race Is a PrObisTI.r' The learned doc
. Tor claimed that The negroes had degen-
Grated in marked degree sICce emap-
cipatiou, and LhaI they were dying Oh
3 80 per cent. faster Ihan white nleD.
The death rate among the cOlOred race
was much larger than the increase, and
from This fact ne concluded hat unless
the y hIte people should 10 something to
/ prevent the mortality OF the negro II
would be hut n question o: time when
the race wOuld become extinct.
While there = no doubt that the death
ra-e IS higher among the blacks than
among the whites, there IS little in the
statistics OF population to warrant the
gloomy conclusions OF the learned doctor
concerning the fate Of the coiored race
on this continent. In 1903, when the
slave trade ceased, the colored popula-
tioB OF The United States was about
l go 600 From that time the negro
population, with no sources Of immigra-
JioG 10 draw from, increased until l.
was (, $50, 600, free and slave, in 1850.
TIE colorei Inhabitants OF the country,
after quarter Of century OF smanci-
psrior, now number not far from 900.
600 These figures certainly do not
indicate any decline in the cOlOTed
population Cf the country, and al fears
OF the philaLthruplsi concerning the
extinction OF the negro race on tins con-
tineut may a. w=ll De dimissed. The
negroes are steadily growing in num-
hers, although. unlike the whites, they
receive no foreign sccretiOns.
10 Is very likely that under the most
favorable conditions the negro race
decreased more rapidly when In slavery
thar has been the cas- since its eunanci-
patton. The master whose wealth con-
sisted chiefly or bis slaves vas extremely
careful of their physical weli-b-ing.
From iEe motive of self Interest be
encouraged early marriages and large
fem lies. When rmIuci patton su idenly
threw the negroes upon their own re-
sources Jn=iT ignorance OF sanitary laws
doubtless NJ first caused much mortality
among them but with increasing
knowledge they should be as well able
as other people 10 take care OF them
reeves IN this respect. At the same
time the tendency 10 early marriages
and large families mas been somewhat
checked under emancipation by prudeu-
tlsl considerations aud this. rather
team any deterioration of the race,
serves 10 eXolain why the negro popuIa-
'iun does not increase as rapidly as
under slavery. But what could the
whites dc 10 arrest the deterioration of
the negroes II what Bishop Penick
assumes be true To put them under
any k'Uf OF governmental or sOcietaTy
VUp' agr and subject them 10 hot house
process ~ Improvement would only en-
cuaIage this deReneracy, if IL have any
foundation in fact. What The negroes
need = 10 he let alone 70 make their own
struggle TOR existence under equal laws.
THIS right Jhcy NOW nave, and they are
thriving under It.
While the negroes enjoy equal rights
with wh.ts men. they are not vet wholly
free. They are still 20 great degree
under The domination Ot political par
~ ihat cisIms a pTupI 'etary interest IL
them and n their simplicity and grati-
tud- they imagine they owe something
10 his party. Bat their political seryi-
tuoe is rapidly passing away. They
are becoming emancipated from their
new masters into whose hands they
passed after their enfranchisement, and
w;ieH this 5mGa Pal Iou shall be com
piete tGeY Will D. abundanuIv able 70
take care OF themsslv yes f'isjl0IeiUbia
Record.